Worst Christmas Ever?
by Willow Tracy
Summary: Eve's First Christmas as a Blakeney. What could possibly go wrong?


_**Authors Notes: I may update this yearly.  
**_

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_**Worst Christmas...Ever?**_

There were whispers, and small words passed this way and that for the last month and a half now. Eve hadn't seen that much of her new father since she got to the manor. She was used to the whispers and soft words spoken around her between the League men and her father. She was aware there were 19 followers and she met a great number of them. There stories of her fathers heroism were her bed time stories when he was away. They made her feel like he was the best man in the whole world. She just wished he were home more.

Sometimes she would sit there and wait looking over the gardens, or go tend to his horse in the stables. Percy had asked how she got Valiant so clean and shiny at one point. They would go out riding sometimes in the sunshine. But with Christmas right around the corner, and her father nowhere in sight...this was starting to be the worst Christmas ever.

She had been in the manor now for almost seven months. there were only a few hours left till Christmas and she sat at the table in her room. Her door was locked and she had paper, glue, and scissors at her disposal. She had thought long and hard about it. She looked through many many stores, she went through lots of shirts, jackets, boots, she didn't know what to get her father at all. But then there was a trinket shop next to the deli they went to once. There in the window it sat. A glass ball full of water, and snow. In the center there was a simple wayside flower...her Pimpernel. She fell in love with it and it took her two weeks to work the money up to pay for it. But there it was laying in a box now wrapped with pretty red and gold paper. She was sure he would love it. Even the music that played from the box beneath it played her fathers favorite song.

She yawned and stretched and climbed into bed. She had already said good night to her mother that way she could sneak off and wrap there presents. Her mothers present already lay under the tree. She was easy to shop for...a small bracelet that fit around her mothers delicate hand with a gold heart. It was something simple but she was able to add things to it as they went along. They called it a charm bracelet.

Sleep was almost immediate since she had been up at dawn the day before to help with the cooking and decorating. She let the far flung dreams of an 9 year old girl take over.

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up in bed she looked around the room and...nothing...just really really cold. She climbed out of bed pulling on her robe. Picking up her fathers present. She ran toward the sitting room where the tree was.

She peaked into the room and noticed nothing new. Her eyes blinked and she looked around. No one was in the room. She sat her present down on the floor next to her mothers present. The fire had been lit in the room so it was nice and warm. It even cast a brilliant glow around the room.

She walked out of the room and down the hall. She wasn't sure where everyone went. Even the servants were gone. She walked into the kitchen...no one was there. Not even the cook who would have immediately shooed her from the room. She walked into the library...no one.

She knocked on her mothers bedroom door and peaked in. "Mama?" She called and looked around...even checked under her bed.

By the time she had looked around the house she was in tears. 'They forgotten me?' She thought and went back to the sitting room. She was freezing now from going from room to room that didn't have a fire lit. She sat back down and hugged her knees.

"How many times must I tell you to put some slippers on. You'll catch your death like this." She jumped up and looked at the man standing in the doorway. She expected to see an angry face...even though she was unsure what Percy's angry face would look like.

What she saw was Percy's usual smile, and an arm full of presents. He sat them down next to him and he knelled down in front of her. "Why the tears darling?" He asked pulling her close.

"I looked everywhere the house was empty...I was alone." She said and heard him chuckle.

"No...I had just got home not even thirty minutes ago your mother came to greet me. Your...Uncle is in the house somewhere...he was going from room to room lighting the fires. You probably just missed each other." He said and looked her in the eyes. As if on que Armand walked in and smiled down at her.

"Armand I should have you flogged."

"Who me? What for Percy?"

"You scared my daughter to death. She thought she was all alone in this house."

"Oh no don't hurt him!" Eve said and threw her arms around her Uncle. "Don't worry I'll protect you." She said and put up her fists at her father who pretended to be scared of her.

"Oh no we're in trouble now." He said and chuckled when Eve lightly punched him.

"Percy...what have you been teaching Eve?" The feminine voice said from behind the men. Both of which stood up straight as a board, and chanted at once. "nothing..."

"Good...now lets eat the food before it gets cold. The servants are out for the day. Gave them Christmas off." She told Eve who nodded.

Soon enough bellies were full and the presents were being handed out. Marguerite had her new bracelet on and seemed to love it a lot.

Percy looked at the box he was handed. He wasn't sure about it, it seemed very heavy. "So its nothing to wear." He shook the box.

"Oh don't do that you might break it." She said. Percy looked bewildered as he opened it and pulled out the snow globe. He chuckled and shook it.

"It plays music too." She said and he twisted the nook at the bottom and it began to play music. He laughed brightly. Eve reached over and picked up the present Percy brought in for her and watched her open it. She looked in the box and laughed hard.

"What? What is it?" Marguerite asked and watched her daughter pull out a snow globe identical to her fathers.

"Great minds think alike." Armand said and clapped Percy on the back.


End file.
